Official Torque 3D Documentation Feedback

#121 Actually some documentation on designing for performance could probably be useful too. Something akin to what Tom is saying here linky!, this sort of info is available after a good trawl of the forums but always handy to have in one set-place like the docs section.

#122 I tried uploading new documentation yesterday, but it failed. The method for pushing new documentation online is a bit of a pain:

1. Write docs
2. Generate docs
3. Copy built docs to the website repository
4. Commit SVN
5. SSH into a server using terminal
6. Call a .sh script to pull down repository, then push the docs online using a network command

Steps 1-5 work, but step 6 is completely borked. In November, we switched all of our repository DNS. I can relocate my local repositories fine, but no one bothered to change the .sh script on the server. That means I cannot push documentation online. I've submitted a support request to OPS, but I do not have an ETA from them.

Is this frustrating? Very. Is the process inefficient? Absolutely. Is there anything I can directly do about this? Unfortunately no, and it kills me to not have control over my documentation.

When I can get the new documentation up, I will make sure it is updated in the 1.1 Beta blog. I am also working on a visible versioning system for the docs, with a changelog.

#123 Please Read This Thread

#124 Michael Thanks for not keeping us in the dark.

For a moment there, I had a regression to the (not so old) times, when the GG site randomly became unavailable, and we had to use the IP number to access the site.

I can understand when a tech problem limits your options until solved, is standard stuff. But I cant see how a tech problem could last for months.

I mean, dont you have someone you can express the problems that are beyond your reach? Your superior doesnt have a superior, and so on?

Someone in the company must have the power to say: "this service is not working, lets do whats needed to fix it", or "this service provider failed to provide the service we pay for, change it".

Cant think of many companies that take malfunctioning services for months, really.

#125 @Novack - Thanks for the understanding. What you are suggesting used to be the way things were, until new OPS policies and a ticketing system (Jira) was put into place. This helped OPS avoid being swarmed with unorganized requests, and have people swinging by their desks. Unfortunately, their turn around is delayed due to constant server changes that have been happening since the headquarters was relocated. In the end, even the smallest request that includes changing two lines of text can take longer than necessary. I am restricted to a channel.

#126 Well I guess I was leaving off my thinking the fact of the new context and changes. Thats certainly an important factor and I shall not compare this situation with others in the company history. After all, your work, and the teams work has been great!

#127 Thank god Star Trek online is fun. At least I can fight the Borg while waiting for the torque 3d game engine to get it's act together.

#128 @Russell - I'm not trying to be rude, so forgive me if it comes off that way: Please post something on topic, or do not post at all. It's just forum etiquette. This thread is already huge, and any additional off-topic posts are going to make this less usable. I'm tempted to go through later today and delete every off topic posts to help people find what they are looking for.

#129 The goal to me would seem to be to eliminate the need for a seperate doc system by embedding them in a torque 3d game that can be played.

#130 Off Topic Post Removed By Moderator. Please contact support@torquepowered.com with these types of inquiries

#131 @Russell - I like that suggestion a lot. I would like to work with the engine team to integrate our documentation within the editors, to make it much easier to access.

#132 From what I read, documentation team is going to switch go T2D soon? If this is the case I hope this new doc covers T3D 1.1 features AND engine documentation....

#133 Hi Michael, I'm sorry to see all this problem with the new docs and I'm sure this is really stressing you very bad... Anyway would not be usefull for this time, since the urge many people have in getting the new and the updated docs, to search a workaround, something very simple as packaging the docs, in their present form, in a zip file somewhere ready to be downloaded? This is lasting for months and a quickfix solution must be found in someway... Again, really sorry to see you in this sit, but something has to be done...

#134 I agree with Giorgio, +1 for a useful .zip with updated docs. Please.

#135 Good news! OPS resolved the issue and I was just able to push a chunk of the documentation online. I flushed our web cache, so the first set should be viewable in about 40 min.

#136

Updates

General

• Restructured table of contents
• World Editor documentation separated into three parts
• Updated Script Reference .chm
• Updated Toolbox to reflect 1.1 changes

New World Editor Structure:

• Introduction - Contains overviews and interface guide
• Creator - Covers adding objects and their properties, such as the Sun
• Editor - Covers Terrain Editor, Terrain Painter, Material Editor, Shape Editor, Forest Editor, and Sketch Tool

Creator Guides Updates:

• 3D models
• Sun
• Terrain
• Skybox
• Scattersky
• Basic Cloud Layer
• Advanced Cloud Layer
• Waterblock
• Waterplane
• Precipitation
• Ground Cover

Artist Guide Updates

• Updated COLLADA Overview, including COLLADA Loader section
• Updated Shape Editor to cover 1.1 features

This is just the first push in a long time. More content coming, but time frame is not available.

#137 Congrats on getting this new stuff up. That's good news. But what about the example files referred to in the docs? Have they been provided for users of the Artist-only License, and if so where are they?

If that software package were updated, where would I get the download?
--EDIT--
Looking through these new docs I'm finding a lot of the same problems I had with the old. Maybe I should wait for 1.1 to come out and presumably the docs will sync with the software.

#138 @Michael
"swarmer.png" doesn't load in GUI Editor -> Introduction. Everything else seems fine.

#139 Also

ShapeConSample.jpg in there doesn't load...

and all the images in there...

For the moment this is what i found, maybe other missing images...

#140 Thanks for the missing image catches. As the documentation structure changes, some links end up dieing or not getting updated. Now that 1.1 Beta is out, I will be posting a blog about Torque 3D documentation next week to discuss major changes to the content, reference, and structure. I believe this may be the last refactor of the documentation, but it will require a lot of feedback to solidify.